


Connecting Constellations

by badwolf_on_vulcan



Category: Star Trek: Alternate Original Series (Movies)
Genre: Angst, Fluff, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-12-14
Updated: 2014-05-26
Packaged: 2018-01-04 14:44:03
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 10
Words: 8,740
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1082234
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/badwolf_on_vulcan/pseuds/badwolf_on_vulcan
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It's nearing the end of the five year mission that was assigned to Captain James T. Kirk and the crew of the Enterprise. Pavel Chekov is stuck down in engineering, apart from his usual post on the bridge with Sulu. The young Ensign has been crushing on Sulu ever since they first met, but Sulu isn't quite sure yet. Things quickly get chaotic when a newcomer threatens the lives of everyone aboard the Enterprise, Chekov and Sulu included.</p><p>EDIT: Previously titled "Daydreams and Nightmares"</p><p>EDIT: November 15th, 2015 <br/>HERE WE GO I'M GONNA FUCKING FINISH THIS THING KIDS</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chekov

The hallways of the U.S.S. Enterprise seemed to glow with excitement as Pavel Chekov headed towards the bridge for his daily report. He smiled, almost giddy with boyish enthusiasm. Ever since the Captain had moved him to the lower levels of Engineering, the Ensign had solved problems he would have never been able to encounter as Navigator. Chekov’s heart swelled with pride. He had felt more helpful than ever, being able to personally fix the machines in which others had always struggled with. He hesitated slightly as the entryway to the bridge came into sight. There had been, of course, one drawback to being promoted. Sulu.

  
It was always the messy haired Sulu that stole Chekov’s attention since the moment he had first laid eyes on him. Maybe it was a combination of his looks, or his passion, or just the general friendliness the Lieutenant expressed to everyone he met, Chekov had never been sure. He bit the corner of his lip in an almost agonizing certainty. Sulu would never feel the same. He would never....want Chekov. Not the way that the young boy wanted him.

  
 _But at least,_ Chekov thought hopefully, _ve can still remain es friends._ That was comforting enough for the moment.

  
He reached out to open the door in front of him, only then realizing that he was out of breath from even thinking about the young Lieutenant. He paused for a moment to compose himself. After all, he had a report to deliver. Silently, Chekov willed himself not to mess up, not to be caught staring at Sulu....hell, not to even glance over at him. As if that would be easy.

  
 _Eet es not zhat hard,_ he thought. _I vill just.....not look at him. Meybe....meybe I vill get to speak with him later._

Suddenly filled with uncontainable confidence, Chekov held his head high as he opened the door to the bridge. “Permission to enter zhe bridge, Keeptin Kirk?”

  
“Granted, Chekov,” the Captain said, eyes still focused on the sky ahead of him.

Lieutenant Uhura, busily tapping away at her computer, lifted her eyes slightly as Chekov walked past her. She snorted, quickly moving her hand in front of her face in an attempt to choke back laughter.

  
 _Er....Niet zhat high..._ Chekov blushed, immediately lowering his chin before anyone else noticed him. Fighting desperately to keep the growing rush of heat at bay, he edged towards where the Captain still stood, mentally urging himself not to get any redder.

  
Kirk turned towards the Ensign, grinning as he slid down into the chair behind him. “What’ve you got for me, Chekov?” he said, stretching his arms out behind him.  
Chekov didn’t even think as he delivered his report, words flowing from his mouth with utmost certainty. For a few minutes, didn’t feel the nagging wish to move his eyes across the room to where Sulu sat, but after awhile he felt as if he couldn’t stand it for a moment longer.

  
 _Don’t look at him,_ he thought, pretending to nod insightfully as Kirk began to relay the message to the newly arrived Spock. Chekov curled his fingers into fists as he tried hard not to steal a glance over at Sulu. He lasted for a moment or two longer, but the second he felt that he could get away with it, he felt his eyes flick over to the left of him.

  
 _Deemit,_ he thought with frustration. He was doing so well, too. But, now that his eyes had made contact with Sulu, Chekov felt it physically impossible to look away again. His clothes fit him well; that was the first thing the young Ensign noticed. The fabric of the Lieutenant’s shirt hugged against him in all the right places, barely revealing muscles that seemed to ripple as he moved. The creamy yellow color reflected marvelously against the fairness of his skin, causing it to almost glow with delicacy. Chekov bit his lip as his eyes slid up to the back of Sulu’s neck, suddenly wishing he could be kissing it.

  
“Chekov? Chekov!” Kirk’s voice seemed to weave it’s way into Chekov’s self conscience. He jumped, immediately looking back to his commanding officer. Kirk narrowed his eyes. “Were you even listening?” He asked.

  
“Oh, yes, Keeptin! Sorry, sir,” Chekov replied hastily.

  
Kirk quirked an eyebrow, looking him up and down in obvious amusement. “Good,” he said. “I’ll see you tomorrow, then.”

  
Chekov nodded, backing up towards the exit. He turned quickly, not at all eager to escape the sight of Sulu, but still feeling as if the Captain had caught him doing something he shouldn’t have. Chekov glanced behind him one final time before heading towards his own workspace. Out of the corner of his eye, he thought he saw Spock giving him a strange sort of look, and his heart began to skitter uncomfortably in his chest as he remembered the events of the previous week. Chekov had always thought there was something going on between Kirk and his First Officer, but his suspicions hadn’t been confirmed until overhearing a conversation between the two. Spock, in burst of his half-human emotions, had confessed his still growing love for the blonde haired Captain. Only...Kirk didn’t share these feelings of affection. Or, at least, was afraid to admit that he did. Chekov flinched slightly as he remembered Spock’s face twisted in pain after the conversation had drawn to a close, but, luckily, the Vulcan seemed to have recovered quickly; or else, simply immersed himself further from his human heritage. A lot had happened between Spock and Kirk, but they still remained friends. Couldn’t the same happen for Chekov and Sulu, should it come to that?

  
Chekov shook his head, thoughts of his parents suddenly rushing their way into his already cluttered mind. There was something wrong with him, he was sure of it. That was the last thing they had said to him. The 13 year old boy had come home practically bursting with affection for a fellow classmate, a boy with strikingly blue eyes that, at the time, had nearly set Chekov ablaze with happiness. It hadn’t lasted long, though. His parents, usually so loving and kind to him, had thrown him out on the street in a sudden surge of hatred. They “hadn’t raised him like this”, they had said. That was true enough, Chekov supposed. They hadn’t raised him like that, it was just...always there, deep under his skin and constantly itching to escape. Chekov had immediately fled to the Federation Headquarters, hoping that Starfleet would at least give him a chance to rebuild his life. Luckily, he was smart enough to get into the school years ahead of when most scholars would have, otherwise....he’d probably be dead by now.

  
Taken aback with a burst of unwanted anger, Chekov kicked the side of the wall in frustration, feeling himself ache with the hopes of meeting up with Sulu before the day ended.


	2. Sulu

Hikaru Sulu was exhausted. He sat in a nearly comatose state at the front of the bridge, caught in between imagination and reality for what seemed like the millionth time that day. He’d had that dream again, and had spent the night restlessly tossing about his bed, only to resurface in groggy uncertainty. There was something about it that the young Lieutenant could never quite seem to place, and, on a usual morning, he would simply cast the thoughts aside. But this time....this time was different. A detail that Sulu supposed he must have overlooked the last time, something that made him ache for more. He could almost taste it, the sleep inducing comfort that he had found himself layered in, despite the fact that the dream itself had left him shivering in fear. Sulu shook his head in annoyance, the movement causing his short, black hair to shift to the side slightly. Sighing, he checked the brightly lit panel once more.

“Everything normal on my end, Captain,” he said simply, aiming the comment towards the blonde haired man behind him.

Kirk nodded. “Good,” he said, strolling forward to gaze out at the seemingly empty sky in front of them. “We’ve still got a long way home.”

Sulu glanced up, the clear comfort of the sky bringing memory of the mission that now fell behind them. They had been out scouting a newly discovered planet for signs of life, and, though they had found very little, the views from the Esterya’s surface had been absolutely breathtaking, not at all similar to the sights he knew from his home planet. Earth was marvelous, yes; but the skies there held nothing to the visions that Esterya had to offer. Sulu smiled suddenly, remembering a certain Ensign’s fascination in the sky that first evening.

_“Look!” Chekov had muttered, mouth wide open in apparent awe. “You can see all zhe constellations from here!”_

_Sulu couldn’t help but to glance up himself, suddenly immersed into the softly glowing stars that scattered themselves across the galaxy. Hues of purple, blue and orange drifted along the edges of the open sky, propelling the already twinkling stars into a dance beyond anything he had seen on earth. The party was silent for a moment, gazing in relish at the space beyond them._

_Chekov blew a puff of hair from his forehead. “Zhey are so breathtaking....” he murmured._

_Out of the corner of his vision he spotted Spock and Kirk shooting each other amused looks, but Sulu only smiled over to the boy beside him. Chekov’s bright blue eyes lit up even brighter as he looked over to Sulu. “Do you know zheir names, Lieutenant?”_

_Pft. Lieutenant._

_Sulu had told Chekov a million times that he didn’t have to call him by his title, but he understood that the presence of their Commanding Officers was the only reason the young boy did it now. Still, the name sounded.....odd, especially coming from Chekov’s lips. It was almost too formal._

_Sulu looked up, now searching the sky for any of the few constellations he remembered from his childhood. The view on Esterya was different from that of Earth, but still, sometimes if you viewed the stars at just the right perspective, you could see some of the same constellations. Sulu paused, remembering how his mother used to take him up on the hill above their tiny Japanese town. There, they had sat under the stars for what seemed like lifetimes, learning the names of galaxies and the history behind them, until Sulu had drifted to sleep in his mother’s arms. Of course, things had been different after his father’s job was transferred to San Francisco. They hadn’t been able to see much of the sky since then, but Sulu still smiled at the memory, a wave of comfort immediately washing over him. “I can’t remember...” he muttered, thinking hard once more. “It’s been a while.” He ran his fingers through his hair, causing it to stick up on end. A brilliant blaze of white just to the left of him captured his attention. “I know that one’s Vulpecula,” he said, barely containing the excitement within his voice. Vulpecula had always been his favorite. He pointed up towards the fox-like constellation, stepping closer to Chekov as he did so._

_Chekov’s eyes widened as he caught sight of the cluster of stars. “How ded you say et?” he asked. “Wul....Vwul...Wulpacula?” Sulu laughed. “Close enough,” he said, playfully poking Chekov in the side. The Ensign blushed, which, for some reason, only caused Sulu to smile wider._

The doors to the bridge slid open just then, jolting Sulu from his daydreams. He shook his head, trying to clear away his thoughts as he heard Chekov beginning to deliver his daily report. Sulu leaned back in his chair for a moment, attempting to edge closer to the sound of the young Ensign’s voice. Chekov had such a thick, beautiful accent, and Sulu adored listening to it. He shivered slightly as the sound of his voice trailed to a stopping point, waiting for the melodious sound to start up again. For a moment, it didn’t, and it took both the Captain and Spock to regain Chekov’s attention.

“Were you even listening?” The Captain asked, a hint of annoyance in his voice.

“Oh, yes, Keptin!!” Chekov stuttered. “Sorry, Sir.”

Sulu frowned as he heard the Ensign exit. _What was up with him?_ he thought, worry seeping into the back of his mind. He blinked at the sudden realization that he had spent the past ten minutes or so just thinking about Chekov. His fingers paused over their position on the keyboard. Why had he been thinking that much about him? After all....he was just a friend. Right?

Sulu sighed as he resumed his work, praying to run into Chekov for just enough time to really set his mind at ease.


	3. Chekov

Chekov sighed as he ran his fingers through his sweaty hair. He had been racking his brain in an attempt to focus on his final task of the night, but, after the events that took place on the bridge, he was finding it hard to concentrate. Thoughts of Hikaru Sulu had been racing their way through Chekov’s head for practically the entire night; memories of him, how he looked, talked.... God, he swore he could even remember how Sulu smelled. Chekov closed his eyes, leaning back away from the receiver he had been working on.

He knew that nothing more would ever come from his friendship with the Lieutenant. But...It was nice to dream, wasn’t it? After all, it wasn’t hurting anybody, and...it made Chekov feel better. Less alone, almost. He lifted his hand from where it rested against his thigh, moving it up to rub at the back of his neck. For a moment or two he sat there, trailing the his fingertips along his sore shoulder and wishing that Sulu were there to do it for him.

Chekov jumped up suddenly, feeling ridiculous for even thinking something like that. Sulu would never like him in such a way. He was too....perfect. And Chekov wasn’t. He turned around, a movement in the corner of his vision capturing his attention. A weary looking man approached him, wiping his hands on a nearby rag as he opened his mouth to speak.

“You need some help there, then?” Scotty asked, his thick, Scottish accent causing his words to rise up at the end of them. He gestured towards the pile of tools that now lay scattered around the receiver.

Chekov shook his head. “No, No,” he said stubbornly. “I’ll get zhem, eet’s okay.”

Scotty raised an eyebrow at the hastiness that radiated from his voice. “Hmph,” he muttered, tossing the now soiled rag to the side. “So long as you’re sure, me and Keenser here are going to get to sleep,” he said.

The small, absurd looking alien beside him nodded, setting his clipboard down on a nearby table. Chekov waved his hand dismissively. He had never minded being the last to head to bed, especially on a stressful night such as this. There was something about the emptiness, the silence of the hallways that would immediately flood his body with tranquility.

“Zhat’s okay,” Chekov replied, smiling over at his companions. “I vill be fine by myself.”

Scotty frowned slightly. “Alright, lad,” he said. Chekov blinked, uncertain now that he saw concern radiating from the engineer’s eyes. “Just don’t stay up too late,” he said. He patted Chekov on the shoulder before heading out towards the exit, Keenser quickly trailing behind him.

Chekov watched him go, thankful that he had at least someone to support him. Scotty had acted like a father since the moment Chekov had joined the crew of the Enterprise. The engineer’s strong willed personality had defended him against many who, at first, had ignored Chekov entirely simple because of his young age. Sitting with him during lunch in the recreation room, talking with him and sometimes even encouraging others to do so as well. Chekov had been painfully shy, and if it wasn’t for Scotty, he might not have made half the friends he had now.

He leaned back in his chair. He knew that, without Scotty, that he probably wouldn’t be much happier in Starfleet than out on the streets in Russia.

_Vell,_ Chekov thought, _eet vas Hikaru as vell._

He sighed, starting to gather up the various papers and books to bring back upstairs to his quarters. Without warning, his mind began to race back to the last time Sulu was near him, and how much he had wished to be closer to him.

_Hm,_ he thought. _Meybe tomorrow vill be better._

Or maybe...maybe something would happen sooner. Chekov bit his lip, thoughts of kissing him nearly making him stumble against the door frame. Sulu’s lips, warm and inviting, pressed against his...the image itself was enough to make Chekov nearly shiver with pleasure. But...was there really any chance with him? With someone so kind and compassionate and....beautiful. He sighed. He didn’t deserve even a flicker of a chance with someone like Hikaru.

Chekov flicked off the lights as he headed out into the hallway, dirt and grime still covering his face. “I hawe got to stop zhinking about him...” he muttered.


	4. Sulu

Sulu’s eyes were closed tightly against something bright and hot, his fingers rising up to shield them. The light had nearly blinded him, but at the same time he craved to see what it held. He felt himself stumble backwards suddenly. The sensation of warm, inviting lips were now pressed softly against his. The Lieutenant felt himself relax against it, feeling that, somehow, he should know exactly who was on the other side of this. A gentle hand inched its way up Sulu’s back, pulling him even closer as the kiss continued. The rhythm quickened, the once slow moving kiss now causing him to quiver in pleasure. Entranced, Sulu shivered as he felt a pair of teeth brush their way along the bottom of his lip, the soft flicker of tongue begging for entrance. He felt himself opening his eyes in a desperate attempt to catch a glimpse of whoever could make him feel this....good. The moment the sunlight subsided, however, Sulu was left facing his own empty quarters, filled only with the whispers of late night silence.

He leaned up, his bare chest brushing briefly against the tangled mess of sheets. The same dream that had been repeating itself for...too long, really. Sulu sighed, feeling the normal amounts of guilt and frustration; guilt for not being able to remember whom it was he had been kissing, and frustration at himself for never being able to catch glimpse of them quick enough.

He glanced at the glowing alarm clock beside him. Though it wasn’t even midnight yet, Sulu knew that he wouldn’t be able to get back to sleep for a while. Maybe not even at all, though he hoped that wouldn’t be the case tonight.

Shivering, he reached down to the floor beside him to pull on the shirt he had carelessly thrown off a few hours ago. The soft, black fabric fluttered against his skin as he stood up. He was glad that he had been too exhausted to even change out of his pants, because that would mean spending another dreaded minute in this room. The walls seemed to be edging closer to him, and Sulu realized with a twinge how much he wanted to leave. His feet itched to be out walking.

He quickly approached the door, not even bothering to put on shoes before he finally escaped into the dimly lit corridor of the Enterprise. He felt himself breathe a sigh of relief, a blast of cool air rushing out to greet him.

Sulu thought back as he began to walk steadily down the nearest hallway, yearning to know who it was that was constantly invading his dreams.

_Well...._ he thought, biting at the corner of his lip. _Not invading._ It wasn’t like Sulu didn’t enjoy the dream when it was happening; he loved it. He just wasn’t fond of the ending. But....the feel of those lips against his, hands grasping to pull him closer...it almost made up for all the uncertainty.

He let the feeling wash over him for a moment or two, allowing himself to become distracted. So distracted, that, when he turned a nearby corner, he ran smack into Pavel Chekov.


	5. Chekov

Chekov blushed furiously at the sight of Hikaru. The papers he had been carrying had all exploded into the air upon contact, now fluttering down to the floor beneath them. He was in a horrible state; dirt and grease covered his face and hair, but, to his amazement, Sulu didn’t seem to notice. He only grinned as they leaned down, beginning to gather the papers into one massive pile between them. Chekov blushed harder as he felt his fingers briefly entangle themselves with Sulu’s.

_I em lucky et es so dark,_ he thought with embarrassment. _Ozerwise he vould see._

Chekov glanced away for a moment as they both stood up once more, the papers now stuffed into the Ensign’s hand.

“Sorry about that, Chek,” Sulu said, brushing his hands along his hips. The soft light of the hallway cascaded against his features, causing his skin to glow with undefinable elegance.

_He es so beautiful,_ Chekov couldn’t help but think. The way his soft, brown eyes shone with amusement nearly caused the Ensign to quiver with pleasure, but he only bit the inside of his cheek in annoyance. He had to contain himself.

He tried hard to smile back, desperately hoping that the Lieutenant’s presence wouldn’t make him too nervous. “No problem,” he murmured, heat still probing at his cheeks. A sudden worry nagged at the back of his mind. “Vy are you out zhis late?”

Sulu frowned. “It’s...” he trailed off, lifting his hand up to scratch at the back of his head. “I just....I had a weird dream,” he confessed meekly, now looking down at the floor of the corridor. “I couldn’t get back to sleep after.”

“Vhat vas zhe dream...?” Chekov asked, now curious. He hoped it wasn’t bad.

Sulu chuckled, the sound of his laughter containing only a hint of hesitation. “It was stupid,” he insisted, running his fingers through his deep black hair. “You wouldn’t wanna hear it.”

Chekov gave him a small smile. “You’d be surprised,” he said. God, he wanted to kiss him.

Sulu frowned once more, thinking. “Well....I don’t know half of it,” he began. “Someone kissed me, but I woke up before I saw who it was,” he paused for a moment. “It caught me off guard, though.”

Chekov blinked, leaning forward on his toes. “Zhe kiss?” he asked. _Meybe..._ Chekov thought, remembering back to previous daydreams. _Meybe I could do et._

“Yeah,” Sulu said. “Don’t get me wrong,” he smiled. “It was....it was great. Amazing,” he said. “But I wanted to know who it was.” He stretched his arms out behind him as he continued, causing the fabric of his black shirt to lift slightly and reveal a soft, welcoming stomach. Chekov felt his breath catch in the back of his throat as one of Sulu’s hips was revealed, and...

_Oh god,_ Chekov thought, biting his lip as a sudden burst of excitement washed over him. _Iz zhat a tattoo...?_ A black, tribal design of a dragon peeked out from the waistband of his starfleet regulation pants. It twisted along the edge of his body, the point of the dark tail seeming to intertwine itself with Sulu’s hipbone. Chekov felt as if he had to physically hold himself back from just jumping on the Lieutenant, and from all the touching and kissing that would surely happen if he did so.

Sulu chuckled suddenly, pulling Chekov’s attention back to his face. “Well, it was just a dream, right?” The Lieutenant glanced down at his bare feet, curling his toes slightly. He frowned. “Nobody on this ship would wanna kiss me anyways,” he muttered, almost too soft for Chekov to hear.

The Ensign felt a surge of pain rush through him at the sight of Sulu, the absolutely perfect Sulu, looking so hurt and uncertain. Something told him that now wasn’t the right time to kiss him, no matter how much his body ached to. But...he couldn’t let this slip by.

“You never know, Sulu,” Chekov murmured.

Sulu blinked, looking somewhat surprised. He smiled after a moment. “Yeah,” he said. “I suppose you’re right.” His eyes softened as he looked over at Chekov. “Thankyou.” Sulu looked as if he wanted to say something else, but after a second or two he stepped forward, touching Chekov on the shoulder before heading past him and continuing down the dimly lit hallway. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”

Chekov flushed, biting his lip at the electric shock of Sulu’s skin against his, at the searing moment where the Lieutenant’s fingers had barely brushed against his neck.

_Meybe next time,_ he thought, sighing. _Meybe next time I vill get to touch him back.._

He shifted his head with longing, now watching Sulu head down the corridor.

“I’ll see you tomorrow, Hikaru..” he whispered, moving his legs to walk back to his own quarters. He couldn’t help but feel wounded; for himself as well as Hikaru. Yet, despite all the uncertainty, the cautiousness, the pain...Chekov couldn’t contain the ear to ear grin that stayed plastered on his face the entire way back. 


	6. Sulu

Sulu yawned heavily, grogginess filling him to the brim once more. He sat at his station, exhausted, and he couldn’t help but glance at the empty seat beside him where Chekov should have been. Even after Sulu had returned to his own quarters, he still found it hard to fall back asleep. Something about the way Chekov had been looking at him... there was something the young Ensign hadn’t said, Sulu knew it. He had made a mental note to talk to Chekov as soon as he had the chance, but he hadn’t seen him at all that day. Sulu let out a yawn once more, eyes watering at the sudden impact.

“Late night, Sulu?” Captain Kirk asked, grinning.

Sulu nodded. “Yes, sir,” he replied, giving the Captain a small smile in return.

Kirk chuckled. “Awake enough for the day, huh?”

Sulu smiled bigger this time. “Absolutely, sir.”

Ever since he was a little boy, standing star struck beneath the huge night sky, he had dreamed of being in Starfleet. After years of training at the academy, he had finally reached the position he had always wanted; Helmsman. And yet.... Sulu leaned back in his chair slightly, thinking. It felt like something was missing.

He jumped suddenly as Kirk went rushing past him towards the front window. “Whoa, whoa, whoa,” he said quickly, gesturing out into the distance. “What is that?”

Sulu quickly followed the Captain’s gaze, soon settling his eyes on a small black object that was rapidly heading their way.

“That’s not one of our fleets, is it?” he asked, immediately feeling stupid at the question. It couldn’t be one of Starship’s own, otherwise the Captain wouldn’t have gotten up so abruptly.

“It...does not appear to be, Lieutenant,” Spock said patiently, stepping closer to window as he turned to address the Captain. “Shall I raise the shields in case they are aggressive?”

“Yes,” Kirk said quickly, sending Spock back to his own station. “Uhura, are you getting anything from them?” He continued, looking back towards the dark haired Lieutenant.

Uhura leaned forward, double checking the readings in front of her. “Not yet, sir. It's....” She paused, looking confused. "It's not showing up on our readings at all, Captain."

“Well...let's just take this thing one step at a time. Keep a good eye on it,” Kirk said, still looking out towards the ship beyond. “I wouldn't be surprised if you heard something from them.” With that, he turned his head over to Sulu. “Sulu, run down to engineering and tell Ensign Chekov to raise the status on mechanical control.”

Sulu leaned forward, only to frown in confusion. “Did something happen to the receivers, Captain?” he asked.

Kirk waved his hand dismissively. “It’s broken on Chekov’s side,” he said briefly. Sulu thought back to all the papers the Ensign the previous night, and the dirt and grease that had covered his tired face. He smiled to himself as he rose out of his seat, moving towards the exit of the bridge and down to where Chekov waited for him.


	7. Chekov

Chekov bent lower beneath the bottom of the transmitter, arm trembling as he turned the screwdriver one final time. He smiled. Dusting his hands on his thighs, he shuffled backwards until he was standing up once more.

“Zhat should do et, I zhink,” Chekov said happily, turning back around to where Scotty stood. The man had been quite a help, handing him tool after tool with little complaint, and together they had managed to get the job done a lot faster than Chekov could have done alone.

Scotty frowned. “Kirk should have upgraded these things years ago,” he said, frustration seeping into his already thick accent. “Waste of my time, and of yours the other night.”

Chekov giggled. No matter how much Scotty tried to pretend that Kirk did nothing but cause trouble, he knew that the mechanic housed a soft spot for the Captain.

“Oi!” Scotty burst out suddenly, glaring towards Keenser. The small, dark green alien had climbed up to the top of a nearby generator and now sat propped up against the wall behind him. “Get down from there!”

Keenser shook his head defiantly, crossing his arms as he did so. Scotty rolled his eyes, earning a chuckle of amusement from Chekov. He sat up, walking forward to place the screwdriver back in the container of tools that sat on a nearby table. He glanced down at his hands for a moment. The Ensign felt just as dirty and disheveled, maybe more, than he had the evening before. But still, he was relieved to be through with the damn thing. Scotty was right; it had taken up a lot of their time lately.

The doors of Engineering opened with a whoosh. Chekov turned, stomach doing a nervous twist the moment he saw who was standing there, looking anxiously around the area. Chekov quickly rushed his hands up to his hair, nervously trying to flatten it. Scotty snorted from behind him, turning back around to organize the toolbox. Sulu, clad in his yellow starfleet uniform and positively glowing with haste, stopped walking as soon as he saw Chekov. He was breathing heavier than usual, black hair glistening with sweat.

Without thinking, Chekov stepped forward to meet him halfway, eyes widening with concern. “Sulu? Vhat’s vrong?” he asked immediately.

“Nothing yet,” Sulu assured him, pausing for a moment in an attempt to catch his breath. “Captain Kirk says to raise the status on mechanical control. I would have called, but-”

Chekov raised an eyebrow questioningly. “You...could hawe called,” he said with amusement. “Ve just finished fixing the reciewers.”

Sulu groaned, laughing as he leaned up against a table. “Pavel, you could have told me that before I ran all the way down here!”

Chekov flushed. “You ran?”

Sulu nodded. “Spock thinks it’s some rogue Starfleet ship. At least, that’s what it looks like.” He paused. “They’re not really sure yet.”

Chekov turned for a moment, glancing out towards the distant window. Usually the Engineers could see a decent amount of sky, even from this far below the bridge, but the Ensign wasn’t sure if they’d be able to spot the Starship.

Sulu seemed to read Chekov’s mind as he spoke. “You could probably see it from down here,” he said, moving his way down the hallway to the window.

Chekov quickly turned his head to Scotty, calling out to him as he followed Sulu anxiously. “Raise the status, vould you?”

Scotty waved a hand dismissively. “Aye, got it all under control, laddie.”

Chekov gulped, hoping he did as well. They wove through station after station, the dusty silver of the machines reflecting against the brightness of Sulu’s uniform. Chekov blinked as they neared the window, entranced for a moment of how the lights above them seemed to dance in the warm darkness of his eyes. Sulu was leaning forward, looking up into the starry sky in an attempt to locate the ship.

Suddenly Chekov was in another night, beneath another sky as bright as this one was. He remembered asking Sulu about constellations, listening so intently to his words as he pointed out star after star to the young Russian. He had tried so hard to pronounce Sulu’s favorite ones, but his ridiculous accent had, as usual, messed them up.

“W..Wulpacula,” he muttered, placing a hand on the cool, smooth surface of the glass window.

Sulu gave him a sideways look, furring his eyebrows in confusion. “What’d you say?” he asked.

Chekov blushed with embarrassment, moving his hand back to his side. “N-Nozhing,” he stuttered. “Kin you see zhe ship?” he asked, in a desperate attempt to change the subject.

Sulu raised his eyebrows, blinking before looking back up at the sky. “I don’t think so,” he said. “But I suppose it blends in better than we do, so maybe....there it is!” He stepped to the side, pointing up to the corner of the window. “See it?”

Chekov stepped forward, squinting up at the spot Sulu had gestured to. He frowned. “No,” he said bluntly, looking back at Sulu.

“It’s there, it’s right....” Sulu’s hands closed over Chekov’s shoulder, pushing him slightly to the left of where he was standing. Chekov sighed, arching his back slightly so that his body was pressed up a little closer to Sulu’s. To his astonishment, the Lieutenant didn’t move. Chekov smiled for a moment. He was allowed to enjoy this. Wasn’t he?

“Right there,” Sulu finished, pointing again.

Chekov concentrated, looking intently at that one tiny spot of sky that was just a shade lighter than the rest of it. Was that it? At first glance, it didn’t look anything like a Starship. It didn’t look like much of anything, really. Suddenly a shimmer of a distant star disappeared entirely, only to reappear moments later. In the days before much space travel was even possible, that was how astronomers on Earth could find out about other planets; by seeing the star dim, they were able to see what was really there. Chekov smiled to himself. 

“Do you see it now?” Sulu asked from behind him.

Chekov nodded. “It’s moving fast,” he said, just as the ship flew in front of another star.

“Yeah,” Sulu said, removing his hands from Chekov’s shoulders.

Chekov blinked, the places where Sulu had been touching moments ago suddenly cold from the absence of his warmth. “Is it...dangerous?” he asked, still watching the ship move closer to them.

Sulu paused. “Maybe. I hope not.” He chuckled for a second, moving close to the window as he did so. “I mean, as much as I love the Enterprise, I don’t really want to die out here.”

Chekov froze. “You zhink zhere’s a chance we could die?”

Sulu looked down at him, cocking his head to the side for a moment. “There’s always a chance we could die,” he said, frowning as he spoke. “But that doesn’t mean-”

Chekov didn’t give him the chance to finish. Before his mind could even calculate the sheer stupidity of what he was about to do, his body had lurched itself forward, fingers grasping at Sulu’s shirt in order to pull him closer. Their lips collided, Chekov angling his mouth upwards instinctively as he kissed Sulu with such intensity that you’d have thought the entire world was about to end. Which, in Chekov’s opinion, it was. If there was even the slightest chance that they wouldn’t make it out of this, or that either one of them would get hurt in the process, Chekov wanted to do this.

His thoughts turned to dust as he deepened the kiss, hands fluttering at the back of Sulu’s neck, stretching his fingers up into that beautiful dark hair. Suddenly Sulu stumbled backwards, leaving Chekov standing with his hand still raised awkwardly in the air. The shock suddenly settled deep in Chekov’s stomach, and he dropped his arms, feeling nauseous. He could already feel the tears forming in the back of his eyes as he struggled to speak.

“Sulu, I-” his voice quivered, hands shaking as he tried to explain himself. He inched forward slightly, wanting so badly to fix this. Why had he done that?!

Sulu stepped backwards, looking as fearful and as shocked as Chekov was. He touched his fingers to his lips, shaking his head as he moved towards a nearby exit. “I...we...we can’t do this,” he stuttered.

He turned away, rushing towards the door as Chekov instinctively reached out to grab his hand. He grasped at his fingers for a moment, but Sulu squirmed away, nearly running headfirst into Scotty in an attempt to escape.

Chekov dropped his hand to his side, unsure of how to react or even if he could react. He’d done it now, completely and utterly destroyed any chance of a relationship before it had even started. He wrapped his arms over his chest, lowering his head as Scotty approached him.

“Well, laddie,” he said softly. “You’ve got quite the problem on your hands.”

Chekov sighed, squeezing his eyes shut in frustration, trembling as he felt the warmth of Sulu’s lips still lingering on his own.


	8. Sulu

Sulu couldn’t stop his heart from racing as he moved through the long, winding hallways that led back to the bridge of the Enterprise. What the hell had _happened_ back there? The shock of the kiss still stung along his cheeks, and the helmsman absentmindedly reached his fingers up to touch his lips. His mind flashed back to that moment; the feel of Pavel Chekov pressed almost desperately up against him, the smell of his skin and the terrified, pleading look he wore as Sulu rushed out of engineering.

Mentally, he slapped himself. Why on _earth_ had he _done_ that? Had it really been that hard to just stand there and let the ensign explain himself before running away like a kid. But...that kiss had..shocked him. Never in a million years would he have expected that to happen. Sulu liked Chekov- er, Pavel, because it felt so incredibly odd to refer to him as just a coworker after _that_ \- but....in what way did Sulu like him? Frowning, he allowed himself to think back to the dream he’d had only a few nights ago, and how the vague, unsatisfied feelings he had now all but matched the ones he felt then. Sulu’s fingers tingled as a familiar rush of butterflies reappeared, stomach clenching at the memory of how bright Pavel’s freckles looked when he blushed.

Sulu jumped as the door to the bridge slid open with a whoosh. He had to take a moment to compose himself, heat flooding over him as if he’d been caught doing something that wasn’t right. He sighed as he stepped forward. Just then, the ground below him shuddered, the ship groaning and jolting him to the side of the door, where his head collided against the frame with a sickening thump.

“Agh, _dammit,_ ” he growled in frustration, leaning back up and rubbing the back of his head. This was not his day. “What the hell was that?” he said, heading over towards his seat just as the crew began to pick themselves up as well.

“They’re shooting at us,” Kirk said, annoyance seeping through to his usually calmer tones.

Sulu peered out the window, feeling sick with confusion. “What happened to the shields?” he said quickly. “I thought we still had them up?” He leaned forward to inspect the colorful patterns that skittered across the screen, but before the Helmsman had the chance to find the answer, the distant door slid open once more.

The furrowed, concentrated looking face of the Enterprise’s senior medical officer, Leonard McCoy, dubbed affectionately as “Bones” by the Captain, strutted into the bridge. Narrowing his eyes angrily, the man rounded on Kirk. “Well, whatever you did to try and fix those goddamn shields, _somebody_ screwed it up,” he growled. “All the generators in my end are off and some guys the next level down say that _their_ power is messed up _too_.”

Kirk rubbed his fingers through his already messy hair, causing it to stick up every which way. “I know, I know,” he said briefly.

Behind the Captain’s chair, Spock stepped forward casually. “I believe that whoever is in control of that ship is attempting to take ours down by attacking our inside sources of power,” he said briefly.

Sulu glanced out at the ship, suspended beyond them and still managing to blend into the surrounding sky. It was huge, massive really, in comparison to the Enterprise; but still, the Helmsmen had no idea how they could be infiltrating this Starship. Maybe they possessed some sort of technology that even Starfleet hadn’t discovered.

“May I suggest we speak with their Captain, to possibly negotiate a cease fire?” Spock finished, folding his hands neatly behind his back.

In front of him, Kirk nodded. “You do that, Uhura,” he said quickly, looking across the room towards the long haired woman, who was furiously typing away at the keyboard in front of her. “Try and get them online.”

Bones let out a groan. “A _cease fire_?” he said, putting his hands on his hips. “Jim, you don’t call a truce with a _semi truck_ when _your car_ is the one getting _hit by it_.”

The Captain rolled his eyes dramatically, leaning back in his chair as the doctor exited the bridge with a final grunt of displeasure. “Someone switch the ship to high alert,” Kirk said quickly.

Sulu frowned, spinning around until he was facing back towards the ship. Even now as the Enterprise seemed to be on the brink of complete destruction, he found his mind slipping back towards that kiss. What if Pavel was right about the possibility of death? Sulu's heart skittered uncomfortably in his chest at the thought. Running away like that, it was...well, a shitty way to end something, something that perhaps hadn't even had the chance to really begin yet. Sulu blinked, his teeth grazing against his lips as he fought the urge to go kiss Pavel again.


	9. Chekov

God, Chekov felt stupid. This was probably why his parents hated him so much, because they just _knew_ he would screw everything up at some point. He had been pacing around the same window, the same spot where he had stupidly, _idiotically_ kissed Sulu, for close to ten minutes now. Chekov ran his fingers through his tangled mess of hair, gritting his teeth together in sheer frustration.

Beside him, Scotty frowned in concern. “Aye, lad, this isn’t that big of a deal,” he said, leaning up on the side of a nearby wall.

Chekov bit his lip, heading over to a nearby station and flipping on a few switches to silence the ongoing alarms. The ship was on high alert, a fact that would normally make the young Russian jittery and uncertain; but now, given the fact that he’d probably just ruined one of the only friendships he had aboard the Enterprise, Chekov just felt sick.

“No, I....” he started. “I vas being stupid. I zhought zhat maybe ve could have somezhing...but ve don’t,” he finished miserably. “I vas just imagining it all.”  

Scotty leaned forward. “Worse things have happened aboard the Enterprise, believe me!”

Chekov growled in frustration, resuming his anxious pacing. “It is not zat,” he insisted. “Or...or how bad all zhis is in comparison, because it’s not zhat...not zhat bad,” he stuttered out as Scotty approached him.

The man placed a warm hand over Chekov’s shoulder. “Slow down,” he said. “You’ll be just fine, laddy.”

Chekov blew a puff of hair from his eyes. “I don’t know,” he said. “I just....”

“You just like him a lot,” Scotty said, a hint of understanding in his calm tones.

Chekov couldn’t contain himself. “No,” he said, in a burst of bubbling energy. “I...I think I love him...” He frowned, heart fluttering nervously at the sound of his own voice. Did he really mean that? His mind rushed back to the memory of Sulu’s dark, shining hair, the sound of his laugh and the feel of his warm lips pressed so delicately against him...

Scotty raised an eyebrow in surprise. “Really?” he said, the corner of his mouth curving upwards in amusement. “I know the feeling, lad.” He thumped his hand lovingly against the side of the wall. “The Enterprise, she’s more of a love then I’ll ever deserve,” he said with a sigh, throwing an arm around Chekov.

Chekov frowned in uncertainty. Scotty chuckled, squeezing Chekov’s shoulder as he opened his mouth to speak. “I’m just joking with ye,” he said comfortingly, earning a small smile from the boy beside him. “You’ll get yer chance, lad. There’s plenty of time for yeh _both_ teh talk and teh figure this out.”

The Ensign looked down with uncertainty. “I..” he said, feeling his heart clench miserably at the thought. “I hope you’re right.”


	10. Sulu

 

 

“My signal isn’t going through, Captain,” Uhura said stiffly. “Something on their end must be blocking it.”

Sulu felt himself groan inwardly just as Captain Kirk did the same out loud. The entire bridge was a blur of activity; people had been rushing in and out for the past ten minutes, moving from station to station and doing little to help the situation grow less chaotic. Sulu had to force his fingers to keep moving on his own screen, which was lit up with readings that he hadn’t seen in months.

“God dammit,” Kirk muttered, sinking lower into his chair. “Anything on your end, Sulu?”

Sulu shook his head briefly. Despite the shots that the Enterprise had received, there hadn’t been enough damage to put them into a crisis quite yet. Besides, Kirk wanted information on the enemy ship. Which, for some reason, wasn’t showing up on Sulu’s radar....at all.

“...Nothing, sir,” Sulu muttered, glancing out towards the shadow of the ship in front of them. _It’s right there_ , he thought, almost fervently. _Why can’t we see them?_

The Captain seemed to echo Sulu’s thoughts. “Who are these people...?” he said.

Just then, Sulu heard the sudden squeak of Uhura’s chair, telling him and the rest of the bridge that she had spotted something of interest. “Wait,” she said quickly, as Sulu glanced back to meet her eyes. “Captain, they’re hailing us.” While Uhura's voice wasn’t fearful, the slight break between her words was enough to make Sulu shiver.

“Full screen,” came Kirk’s reply.

The screen in front of them flickered to life, showing, at first, a scene that looked terribly familiar to the Enterprise’s own bridge. The stations were painted the same glistening white, the seats leather and plush, with only a bit of wear and tear around the edges.

Sulu blinked. On the outside, the shadowy ship looked like nothing he had ever seen before, but the bridge...he couldn’t quite place it. It was as if the image had been pulled straight out of one of his dreams.

Before he could think any harder, the Captain’s chair swiveled around, revealing a darkened, glaring face. No- not glaring. Smiling. As if the man who now held the Enterprise’s attention knew something that nobody else did.

Sulu had to fight to keep his stomach from churning when the newcomer spoke.

“Greetings, Enterprise.” He said the name as if it was worth nothing more than a piece of meat stuck between his teeth. The man looked similar to a Romulan; eyebrows arched far above a normal humans along with pale, greasy skin. But where most Romulan’s would have a collection of spiraling tattoos, this man was a tapestry of scars. Red, angry welts traveled down from the base of his neck all the way to his fingertips, and another long slash went straight over one of his dark eyes.

The way the man’s face lit up at the sight of the silent bridge was enough to make any sane man nervous, but Sulu forced himself to remain still.

Kirk, too, leaned forward stubbornly. “...Is there something we can help you with, Mr...?”

The man grinned. “Kelshr’ah,” he spat out. The sound was harsh and unfamiliar to Sulu’s ears, unlike any other name he had heard before. But still, it seemed to fit the man. “And, now that you mention it, Kirk...” the man paused, leaning forward slightly. The lights from his own ship’s bridge flickered ominously against the scars on his face, casting shadows along his cheekbones and making him appear even more malnourished. “My crew and I are on a very important mission, and you...you stand in our way.”

“What mission?” Kirk asked immediately.

Kelshr’ah paused. “That is for the ears of my crew only.”

At that point, Spock stepped forward. His hands were, as usual, clasped tightly behind his back, and he didn’t so much as blink as he stared Kelshr’ah down. “Perhaps a truce can be reached between the both of us,” he said, edging ever so slightly closer to Kirk. “I suggest that we meet at a neutral location in order to further discuss the details, so that both our parties can remain peaceful."

Kelshr’ah chuckled. It was a sharp and sudden, like streams of energy that raced through the speakers to meet Sulu’s ears. “I’m afraid there would be nothing “peaceful” about it, Vulcan,” Kelshr’ah said.

Spock raised an eyebrow. While Sulu and everyone else aboard the Enterprise knew of Spock’s nonhuman heritage, the way the stranger said it made it sound like Vulcan’s were a lesser species. And if that’s how he felt about Vulcans, Sulu almost didn’t want to know what he thought of Humans.

Kelshr’ah leaned back, stretching his arms up above him. His scars gleamed in the light of the bridge, rippling against the layer of hard muscle that was buried beneath them. “Unfortunately, the Enterprise and everyone on board would be in the way on any point of our mission, so...” he trailed off, his dark eyes glittering. “I suppose Jim can guess what’s next.”

Kirk shot out of the Captain’s chair at the sound of his first name. His knuckles were white with tension. “Step down, Kelshr’ah,” he growled. “I don’t really feel like blowing anybody up today.”

“Don’t worry, Captain,” Kelshr’ah said with another sickening smile. “That will hardly be necessary. But, because my species is so _incredibly generous,_ I will give you ten minutes.”

The screen grew dark. The bridge was blanketed in a sudden, unwanted silence, and for a moment, it seemed that the crew was hesitant to even breathe. Sulu’s heart was pounding in his ears. Slowly, he shifted around to look at Kirk.

The Captain had not taken his eyes off of the screen. The sky before them seemed to emit a cold, dark air, made worse by the still shadow of Kelshr’ah’s ship.

_Ten minutes,_ Sulu thought desperately. They didn’t even know what “mission” Kelshr’ah and his crew were on, and now, suddenly, a horrifying idea slithered into Sulu’s mind. A ship that size could blow up the Enterprise in a second, but now, Kelshr’ah was waiting. He was playing with them. _He wants to watch us die._

But Sulu didn’t dare speak this thought aloud. Ahead of him, Kirk gave a quick, almost uncertain glance back to Spock. Sulu blinked.

“Sulu,” Kirk said sharply, making the Lieutenant’s heart race even faster. “Put this ship on red alert. Now.”

Sulu’s fingers raced to type in the necessary orders, the light from the screen below him jolting at his movement. “Yes, sir,” he said without hesitation.

_Confirm red alert_ , a message read just beside his thumb. The letters were bright white and sharp, daring, it seemed to him.

Sulu pressed the button. 


End file.
